The ad, paid for by the Ives campaign, mockingly features an actor portraying a transgender woman thanking Gov. Bruce Rauner (R) for signing a law expanding transgender rights.

"Thank you for legislation that lets me use the girls' bathroom," says an actor dressed in a red dress.

The ad also includes a woman wearing a pink protest hat thanking the governor for making Illinois families "pay for my abortions" and a hoodie-wearing man with his face covered by a bandana thanking Rauner for making Illinois a "sanctuary state for illegal immigrant criminals."

"Thank you for making the rest of Illinois bail out Chicago teacher pensions and for giving [Mayor] Rahm [Emanuel] everything he wanted," says an African-American woman wearing a Chicago Teachers Union T-shirt.

Illinois Republican Party Chairman Tim Schneider said Ives should pull the ad and "immediately apologize to the Illinoisans who were negatively portrayed in a cowardly attempt to stoke political division."

Former Illinois Republican party chairman Pat Brady said in a tweet this is the Ives "we have known for years. There is no room in the Republican Party for racist, bigoted, homophobic candidates like her."

Ives responded to the criticism, "I want to know why people are so offended by it. What's offensive about the ad?"